


Remorse Weeps Tears of Blood

by AppleCiderr



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Brainwashing, Civil War Fix-It, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Human Experimentation, Hurt Tony Stark, Kidnapping, M/M, Mind Control, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Minor Character Death, Murder, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Protective Hulk, Psychological Torture, Recovery, Team as Family, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark-centric, Torture, Winter Soldier Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-13
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-01-17 00:35:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12353757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AppleCiderr/pseuds/AppleCiderr
Summary: Tony Stark never returned from Siberia, and has been missing for 3 years. The world gave up on the Accords while he was gone, and the Team Cap was able to return to America, the Avengers were back. But peace couldn't last forever.HYDRA has returned, with no clear motive. They attack, they kill, and they become a dangerous threat once more. But the most horrifying thing is their new Asset, a young man who looks very familiar...Tony Stark and The Avengers meet again, but not in a way anyone could have expected..





	1. Beginning of Hell

**Author's Note:**

> Hahaha... (*´ω｀*) So, don't be mad, but yes this is a completely new story XD I know this idea has been done before, but I wanted to add my own little twist to it.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Awareness returned slowly to Tony Stark.

 

The first feeling that came back to Tony was pain. Throbbing, constant pain in many different places. The second thing that flowed back was his memories. Yes, he remembered why he was in pain.. Rogers and Barnes had kept his parents’ reason for death a secret, they had fought, broken his suit, and left him to die in Siberia.

 

The next thing he felt was his emotions, flooding back through the dam that had shattered after watching that bastard kill his mother. He felt anger, he felt rage.. He felt fear, and sadness..  _ How could they?! They left me! How could they leave me here to freeze to death?!  _ He angrily thought, as feeling came back to him. That’s when he realized some

He had been left in Siberia.. In a snow covered HYDRA base..thing..

  
  


Then.. Why wasn’t he cold?

 

Tony’s eyes snapped open, only to hiss at the bright light that invaded his vision. He tried to bring his hands up to cover the brown orbs, but his hand was jerked back down. He froze, trying to lift his other hand, same reaction. His hands were tied down? Why?

 

Tony opened his eyes again, beginning to struggle with a vengeance. But his legs were bound too, on the ankles and knees. There was a something around his neck, it seemed to tighten as he tried to break free. Why!? Why was he bound!?

 

Suddenly, a painful shock ran through his body, causing a hoarse cry to escape him as his body jerked slightly before going limp. He panted, it felt as if all of his strength had suddenly faded away. 

 

Then, there was shuffling, and noises. Tony tensed up instantly, eyes flickering around in an attempt see who it was.. There were voices around him.. But he couldn't hear what they were saying.. Was he at the hospital?

 

But then, the light was moved away from his eyes, and the spots in his vision faded. Blinking a couple times, his brown eyes turned towards a figure that was near him. As he finally got a full view of them.. He realized what was going on.

 

They were wearing HYDRA symbols.

 

Suddenly the fear was returning in full force. Tony jerked his head back, and struggled again.”You bastards!” He exclaimed,”Let me go!” 

 

Another jolting, painful shock jerked through his body, causing Tony to stop fighting once more. “It’s awake,”A deep voice with a german accent grumbled,”Finally, we’ve been waiting long enough.”

 

Tony frowned, chocolate eyes examining the men around him. They had the HYDRA uniforms, and black gloves on them. One, however, was wearing a white lab coat with the symbol on the back. He had a surgical mask on, and thin black hair that covered some of his forehead. He must have been the one that spoke.

 

“Who-” Tony began, only to let out a strangled croak as another shock ran through his body, his body thrashing slightly again. 

 

“You’re awake. Good,” The man in the lab coat began,”Captain America and the Winter Soldier did a number on you before they brought you in, I was beginning to believe that you wouldn't make it. It would be a shame to lose our newest Asset.”

 

Tony frowned. “Asset?” He questioned. “What are you-  _ AGH!” _

 

The doctor held up a small controller with a red button, thumb poised over it. “Assets are possessions, possessions don't speak. You will listen and obey,” He declared. 

 

“Fuck you!” Tony snapped, this time he was expecting the shock, but it didn't make it less painful. 

 

The soldiers chuckled, and one said,”I’m surprised that the Asset still has fight in him after Siberia. Don't worry, Dr. Muller, that fight will leave him soon.”

 

The doctor slowly lowered the controller. “Yes, I suppose you’re right,” He said,”Although I'm beginning to see why the Captain and the Winter Soldier were eager to hand him over. Such a weak individual.”

Tony’s mind finally registered those words, confusion filling him, and a frown marring his lips. “What?” He asked aloud,”They would never-”

 

The doctor whipped out the controller again, pressing it once more. Tony cried out again, as the doctor nodded. “Yes, they did. After all, who would want to be near a worthless  _ thing _ like you?” He sneered,”But don't worry, HYDRA will turn you into something better. You’ll be our new weapon, you will be our Asset.”

 

Tony’s blood ran cold, his fists clenching so hard that they turned paler than they already were.  _ No.. No they can't be serious!  _ He thought in horror. 

 

Dr. Muller smirked, walking over to a side table. Tony turned his head the best he could to watch, and saw several different tools on it. All of the were sharp, and deadly looking. There was also a closed, silver briefcase. Tony’s heart began to stutter in terror.

The doctor ran his pale hands over the tools, waving his fingers in a morbidly excited way. “Of course, we will be using different methods than we did with the Winter Solider,” He said with a chuckle,”Don’t wanna make the same mistakes twice.” 

 

Tony didn’t find it very funny, especially when Muller picked up a large syringe, and flicked the air bubbles from the red liquid. Instead of staying still, Tony began to thrash again. In the back of his mind, he knew it was hopeless, but the rest of his brain was panicking.

 

“You bastards! You’re all monsters! I’ll get out of here, I’ll let the whole world know HYDRA is alive!” He yelled,”You won’t get away with this! The Avengers will.. They’ll..” But he stopped himself… 

 

Muller smirked at him, green eyes filled with sadistic amusement. “They’ll what, Asset?” He asked,”You have nobody who cares for you anymore, Captain America and the Winter Soldier left you for us, the Avengers hate you. You have no one.. You  _ deserve _ no one.”

 

Before Tony could react, Muller took the syringe, plunging it into his neck. “He won’t remain awake for the procedure anyways, putting him to sleep now will save us a lot of trouble,” He explained,”Now, let’s begin phase one.”

 

Tony tried to fight whatever they injected him with, but soon the voices around him sounded like they were underwater, and then his vision faded to black once more.

 

This was the beginning of Tony’s life in hell.

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

Three Years Later

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

Many things had changed in the past few years. With Tony Stark- one of the main backers of the accords -missing, people began to notice its flaws. Then, as the flaws appeared, so did criminals who realized how much easier crimes were when nobody could stop you. The sudden influx of crime, combined with the questions that Secretary Ross wouldn’t answer, sent the public into a rage. 

 

Ross tried to defend himself by claiming that the Avengers would cause more damage than anything else, but the state of the world around him proved otherwise. Many countries kept their opinions firm, they wanted to Accords to to stay. Many _ other  _ countries, however, were starting to realize how unhelpful that stack of papers really was.

 

Those countries tried to call a UN meeting, but to no avail. So, many countries simply started to disregard the accords, the first country to do so being Wakanda. King T’Challa’s reasoning being ‘My father was killed by a villain, I just want heroes to be able to protect us. I thought the accords would help with that but they are just making the situation worse.’

 

Several countries followed in Wakanda’s footsteps. It wasn’t long before superheroes started to pop up in this countries once more, and the crime rate dropped quickly.

 

As soon as other officials realized the effectiveness of disregarding the accords, they followed in suit. One by one, countries stopped following the accords, to the point that trying to use it for anything was seen as a joke. 

 

But still, the UN refused to meet, because Ross refuse to lose the control he so desperately desired, using the Winter Soldier’s attack on Wakanda as an example. For a while, it worked, and people backed down. 

 

But then the leaks happened..

 

Someone anonymously dropped videos onto the internet, showing Helmut Zemo’s confession to T’Challa and the video of Zemo planting the bombs. Now the world knew that Ross had been a liar.

 

Things moved fast after that. Ross was fired and arrested, the UN meeting was finally called, the Accords were nullified, and the Avengers who were once fugitives were able to return with SHIELD, Thor, and Bruce eventually returning along with them. All in the span of a year and a half..

 

It was strange for Steve to think about, how long and painful the Accords seemed to last but how quickly they vanished. All of that was what led him to where he was now, staring at the blank page of his sketchbook in the Avenger compound. 

 

It was hard to move back in, along with everyone else. Coming back was difficult too, especially for Bucky, who was just getting over the trigger words with the help of Bruce and SHIELD. Clint and Laura were divorced now, and he didn’t see her or the kids often, Scott was usually with his daughter when he wasn’t at the compound, Natasha was around too, but was often quiet, Sam too. Wanda was depressed as well, but that mainly had to do with the fact Vision was completely avoiding her. Obviously he was not happy with them, and he wasn’t the only one.

 

Pepper, Peter, and Rhodey were very angry towards them as well, especially toward him and Bucky. All the friendliness was gone, but Steve understood why.. Even though he didn't find out about Tony being missing until he came back, it was his fault. What surprised him was the hostility from Bruce and Thor towards the topic, both deciding Steve and the rest of his team were also in the wrong.

 

He wished he could fix it, he really did, but it was too late. There was no hint to Tony’s whereabouts, so all they could do was wait for a sign. It hurt, but there was some good in his life at least. He and Bucky were together now, and his best friend was finally recovering. He would probably never get over what happened, but Steve was just thankful to have him. Thanks to the sudden drop of crime as they returned, he hoped they would have time to mend everything around them and themselves..

 

As if his thoughts were heard, there was a sudden loud blaring. Steve was jerked out of his thoughts, and turned to look at the ceiling. “FRIDAY?” He asked,”Is something wrong?”

 

“Obviously,” The annoyed AI replied, not very happy about him being around either. “It’s a call from Director Fury.”

 

“Answer it please..” He awkwardly asked, placing his sketchbook down on the dark oak table, his blue eyes continuing to stare at the ceiling.

 

After a small ping, he heard Fury’s voice loud and clear. “Captain Rogers, I need you to gather the team in the meeting room, something needs our attention,” He declared instantly.   
  


It was unlike Fury to sound this… Worried, and Steve couldn’t help but question,”What’s going on?” There was silence on the other end for what felt like forever, until Fury finally responded. 

 

“HYDRA has returned.”

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

The Avengers all gathered to the meeting room extremely fast, mainly because most of them knew the threat that HYDRA caused for them. The only people who didn’t really understand, Sam and Scott, watched the others curiously. They had heard stories, but nothing more.

 

Director Fury’s one eye stared at them from his seat near the front of the table, Agent Hill right next to him. Once everyone was paying attention, Natasha was the first to speak up. “What happened?”

 

Steve frowned at the open question, but he was wondering the same thing. He looked over at Bucky, noticing the dark, bubbling mix of fear and anger in his eyes. They all had that question, what happened, how did HYDRA return, and  _ why? _

 

“It happened last night, at the RAFT”  Fury began, moving to look at the screen, which showed security footage of several cameras. One minute, it was SHIELD agents patrolling the halls, but then the cameras all somehow glitched at once, turning into snow. Then the screen came back, most showing all the agents unconscious, doors broken, and.. Zemo’s cell was shattered open.

 

Steve and Bucky tensed, as the blonde asked,”So Zemo escaped? No offense, sir, but isn’t that more important than a rumor about HYDRA?”

 

“Captain, I would not say HYDRA had returned without proof, let me finish” He angrily snapped,”HYDRA freed Zemo, and purposefully left video evidence behind.”

 

The tense atmosphere in the room grew, as the lights darkened turning most of the attention to the screen. Steve couldn’t really tell where it was, but he saw four people on screen. One was a disheveled looking Zemo, whose was unbound and standing happily in a prison suit. The other three were painfully familiar, and made several members of the room tense.

 

They were wearing all black outfits, with under armour and weapons attached to them, with the HYDRA symbol displayed. The first two were tall, and had slimmer suits, but the third was shorter, and wearing clothing that looked eerily similar to the Winter Soldier’s clothing. He looked rather young as well.

 

“Well,” Zemo suddenly said,”I must say, out of all the people I expected to free me, HYDRA soldiers weren’t one of them.”

 

The taller two chuckled, while the shorter remained eerily silent. This reaction sent a frown of confusion up Zemo’s face, as he asked,”I don’t understand.. What’s so funny?”

 

“We merely find it funny that you think we would waste any efforts to help you, you are not worthy of joining HYDRA, but you are worthy of being our example for what happens when you cross us, kill our members, and steal our files…” One of the taller men declared, causing Zemo’s face to fill with fear.

 

“Asset,” The tall one suddenly said, and instantly, the third one reacted. He pulled a gun out of his belt, pulling the trigger, and shooting Zemo in the head. The man instantly crashed to the ground, blood pooling underneath him.

 

The taller one then said,”Good, very good.” His hand went to the shorters hair, running  a hand through it, as the shorter put his gun back in the holster. Then, without a word, the three turned and left. They didn’t have to say anything, because they knew their message was clear, HYDRA was back.

 

The screens returned to snow once more, and Fury turned back towards them. His face was grim, as he declared,”Now do you see why this is a problem? They’re back, and all we know is that they killed Zemo. We have nothing else, no information, nothing to go on. But they’re planning something, they have to be, they had no reason to reveal themselves and yet they did. HYDRA’s return is now one of our main priorities, understood?”

 

Most of them nodded, understanding instantly. Steve’s blue eyes, however, saw his best friend shuddering out of the corner of his eye. “Buck..?” He asked worriedly,”What’s the matter?”

 

All eyes in the room were suddenly on Bucky, as he chewed on his lips. “The short one.. They called him Asset..” He muttered quietly. 

 

“Yeah, so?” Clint asked in confusion, his cheek resting in his hand. Natasha’s eyes flicked towards him for a moment, narrowing her eyes at his attitude.

 

“That’s what they called me.. Before I was ‘The Winter Soldier’ they called me Asset,” He explained fearfully,”And the other experimental soldiers.. That was what they were called too..”   
  


Instantly, the gears in Steve’s head started turning. “They made another Winter Soldier, is that what you’re saying?” He asked, his heart freezing over in fear.

 

Bucky nodded shakily, and replied,”It  _ has  _ to be, didn’t you see the way he was acting? He didn’t move or speak until they ordered him, they took another person and brainwashed them! They were probably just an innocent kid, and then forced them to be a weapon, why do they do this?!”

 

His metal hand slammed onto the table, before he turned and stormed out of the room. Steve stood up to follow after him, but Natasha grabbed his hand. Her steel eyes firmly said ‘Leave him be’. So, Steve sighed, and sat back down.

 

“If what he says is true..” Thor began,”Then we must find a way to save this ‘Asset’ as well as stop HYDRA.”

 

Fury nodded. “I agree, but until we have more information, all we can do is wait,” He explained in shame, before standing up. “You’re all dismissed, I’ll call if anything comes up, but I’d like you all to keep an eye out by yourselves as well, understood?”

 

He didn’t wait for a reply, instead he and Agent Hill left. Soon, everyone got up and left, their own thoughts on the issue distracting them from the others around them. Steve got up quickly as well, as he asked,”FRIDAY, where’s Bucky?”

 

“Barnes is on the balcony,” Friday tersely replied, not even using the formalities she used to. He thaked her, and took the trip to the upstairs balcony.

 

When he got to the top, he could see Bucky standing there, his brown hair flowing in the wind. There was no noise in the green, luscious trees surrounding them. Steve was almost afraid to break the silence, but he was more afraid of leaving Bucky with whatever horrible thoughts were running through his brain.

 

“Buck,” He awkwardly began, surprised when the other man jumped slightly. Bucky usually could tell when people were sneaking around, he must really be troubled, and Steve wasn’t sure how to fix that.

 

Before he could think of anything, Bucky spoke. “Why? Why do they have to drag innocent people into this? They’re powerful enough without a Winter Soldier, or an Asset, or whatever the fuck they want to call us.. I hate this, why do they keep coming back?!” He angrily demanded.

 

Bucky’s eyes grew wet, as they filled with tears. Steve’s heart broke, seeing that his friend as holding in all this pain. He quickly made his way over to his friend, wrapping his arms around him. 

 

Bucky tensed up for a moment, before releasing a huge breath and burying his face in Steve’s shoulder. “It just hurts so much..” He whispered,”I want them to stop, I want it to be over.. But now they’ve come back, they’ve taken someone else.. They’re going to kill more innocent people, I just want it to end!”

 

“Bucky, it’s okay, we’ll stop them, I promise. They won’t get away with it this time, I promise,” Steve declared, running a hand through his hair. “We’ll stop HYDRA, just as we have before, we’ll help the person they took if they weren’t there willingly, and everything will be alright, I promise.”

 

Looking at Steve’s blue eyes, and that familiar smile, Bucky found himself nodding, as he whispered,”Yeah.. Yeah okay..”

 

Steve smiled wider, and nodded. “Okay, come on, I’ll make us some food, you really need to eat more,” He said, patting Bucky’s shoulder as he turned back into the compound. Bucky watched him for a long moment, before following after him. He knew Steve was trying to make him feel better, to look for the good in a bad situation. Bucky wanted to have the same optimism as his best friend, but he just couldn’t.. Not with all the knowledge he had and things he had gone through.

 

But maybe Steve was right.. After all they had fought HYDRA before, and now they were all together. Maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as he feared.. But then again..

 

Something told Bucky that there was much more going on than they thought..


	2. The First Strike

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HYDRA begins their strikes, starting with one big target.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this was so short. I was desperate and wanted to update something. But I'm heading towards a field trip and posted this on my phone.
> 
> I promise the next chapter will be super long!

\-- -- -- -- -- --  
Three Weeks Later  
\-- -- -- -- -- --

HYDRA’s first strike took a while to happen, no one had really been expecting it when it did.

And no one was expecting the target either..

It had happened at a press conference that was- ironically -about HYDRA themselves. The people running the conference included Thaddeus Ross, Everett Ross, and Director Fury among a few others. Fury, however, couldn’t make it to the conference because of other matters, but he did send Maria to take his place.

The conference was a semi-public event, with reporters allowed in to ask questions but others were not allowed inside, and would have to wait for the recorded broadcast to air. Nobody realized how good this was until after the events happened.

In the middle of the conference, a reporter had stood up, and asked,”Agent Hill, I’m sure I speak for the public when I ask, how do you plan to catch HYDRA when we have no motive, and only a tiny video?”

Ross suddenly seemed frustrated, and angered about the fact that barely anyone had been asking him questions. No one would ever be sure why, considering what occurred not even two years ago that led him to be fired.

Standing up, he slammed his hand against the table. “Listen here!” He firmly snapped,”HYDRA is not some scary villain anymore, they haven’t attacked yet because they are weak and out of control. They are not going to get past us.”

Silence reigned for a moment before a nervous reporter quietly said,”They already broke into the raft, I would call that getting past you..” There was several murmurs of agreement, making Ross growl again.

“That was SHIELD’s fault, their mistake in taking over a government owned building,” He declared,”My men and soldiers won’t be so stupid. We’ll crush HYDRA and everything they stand for, they’re not slick, I can find out anything about them with a snap of a finger. I promise you this, they will not-”

Before he could finish, there was the sound of a gunshot, and blood spurted from his head. He stood shocked for a moment, his head bobbing, before he collapsed to the ground. The journalists and reporters screamed in horror, the crowd erupting in a panic as they ran for safety.

Maria quickly stood up, her hand pulling up her gun, and ducked behind the table while Everett as taken from the area by his security members while the rest rushed to help the citizens out. Despite the quick reaction, it didn’t take Maria long to realize that she hadn’t heard any other gunshots since the first.

She took several deep breaths, trying to calm her speeding heart. Her eyes flicked towards the body next to her, and the pool of blood that was left underneath of his head. In the silence of the aftermath, a realization came to her very quickly.

There were no other gunshots because the target was Ross.

She knew it had to be HYDRA, who else would shoot him the moment they were talking about that very organization?

They were probably trying to make a statement. They wanted to show that Ross’ words were just plastic, and they had succeeded.

After a few more cautious moments, she moved to the old man’s body. She lifted him the best she could, and carried him towards the exit. Reaching for her com, she called director Fury. He would need to know about this development as soon as possible.

HYDRA needed to be stopped.

\-- -- -- -- -- --  
Hours Later  
Unknown Location  
\-- -- -- -- -- --

The Asset knelt in front of its handlers, the sniper rifle still strapped to its back tightly. Handler stood above him, with Dr. Muller right next to Handler. Both men stared at the man with a calculating, predatory gaze, though Dr. Muller’s was one of pride.

“See?” Dr. Muller began,”It’s working just as you wanted, and it hasn't even had to use the updated super serum in battle yet.”

The handler snorted, walking from the steps to the black clad figure. His fingers threaded through his hair, before tightly yanking the Asset’s head up. Those dead, glassy brown eyes stared back at him, before he pushed the Asset’s head back down.

“That doesn't mean anything,” He firmly told the doctor,”It works for our objective, but not as tests. He never liked Thaddeus Ross to begin with, nor did he like Zemo. We still don't know if it worked, those are not adequate tests of Asset’s new abilities, or if the chair really worked.”

Dr. Muller scoffed, crossing his arms. “Well, than what do you suggest we do?” He demanded, leaning against the wall and messing with his blonde hair.

The Handler hummed thoughtfully for a moment, before an idea came to his mind. A dark look grew in his blue eyes, as he moved to the computers in front of him.

His hands flew across the screen, before he came up with an image. He pressed the image, making it the only thing visible on the screen.

“Asset,” He called. Instantly, the Asset was on his feet, walking over the the handler to await further orders.

The handler let out an amused chuckle, before he grabbed the Asset’s shoulders and pushed him in front of the image.

The Asset found himself staring at a woman with gentle red hair, freckled skin, and bright eyes. She wore a business suit, and held a very professional looking attitude. Despite all this, the Asset did not recognize her, and looked to his handler for orders. Handler smiled amusedly, before he gestured to the photo once more.

“This is your next target. Virginia Potts.”

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asset goes after his target, Pepper Potts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update, life has been so hectic recently.

If one were to order him to explain exactly  _ how  _ he did it, though, he wouldn't have an answer. He truly didn't know. He simply knew exactly where everything was, and what their purpose was. Someone else might wonder why such a thing could happen, but Handler told him not to question it, so he didn't. 

 

He landed on the balcony, the black of his outfit contrasting with the brightly colored lights in twilight New York. When no alarms went off, he continued to slink closer, remaining low to the ground. 

 

Asset moved towards where one could see a metal plate around the door, hand reaching to his belt to grab his weapons. But then, the glass door slid open to greet him, as if wanting to let him in.. Strange.. Handler had told him that the building’s AI had to be disabled before he got in because of the level of danger it raised. 

 

Pulling his gun close to his chest, Asset slunk into the doorway, quickly entering and looking around. The lights were completely off, nobody seemed to be home. 

 

“ _ Boss?”  _ A robotic female voice suddenly asked,” _ Is that you?” _

 

The Asset did not know who boss was, so he simply turned his dark eyes towards the cameras in the room, watching them follow him as he crossed towards the hallway. He had to disable the AI before-

 

“ _ Boss, why aren't you answering?”  _ The voice demanded,” _ The Avengers have been searching everywhere for you. I need to notify them that you are alive right away-” _

 

**_KRRRUNK!!_ **

 

Before the AI could finish it’s sentence, Asset’s gloved fist slammed through the metal wall nearby, and grabbed at the bunch of wires within the wall. Then, he pulled them out, snapping them all with a vicious yank. The AI’s panicked voice suddenly lowered several octaves before completely shutting down while the wires sparked, bringing light into the darkened room for mere moments. 

 

Pulling his hand from the wall, and ignoring the quickly healing scratches. Through the slight buzzing of the circuits, he heard another sound. The sound of a woman speaking, and he knew exactly who it was. After all, there was only one person who lived in the tower.

 

It was Virginia Potts. 

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

Pepper let out an weak, exhausted sigh, her messy hair falling into her face as she wandered down the hall, heels clacking against the floor. She was so stressed, exhausted, and upset. She just wanted to cry.

 

Ever since Tony vanished, life had been hard. Stock was falling, and she was running Stark Industries even more than she did before. Of course, she’d been the CEO for Stark Industries for a while.. But Tony had always been there with her. It was different now, and she didn't know how much longer she could hang on. 

 

Moving into the dark living room, she kicked off her high heels, and plopped down on the expensive couch. She looked at the stack of papers in her arms and groaned at the amount of work she still had to finish. “Friday?” She called,”Can you turn on the lights for me? And start the coffee pot? It's going to be a long night.” 

 

There was no noise in response, however, besides the clicking of Pepper’s pen. She didn't notice it at first, taking a few seconds, before she looked up again. 

 

“Friday?” She nervously asked,”Are you.. Are you there?” 

 

When no response came, she grew very, very afraid. Something was wrong, very very wrong. Where was Friday? Why was the room still dark!?The only other time an AI had not been present was right after..

 

Panicked, Pepper jerked up in her seat, whipping around and letting out a piercing shriek at the figure behind her, the back of her knees hitting the back of the coffee table and sending her crashing into the ground.

 

She didn't take time to be in pain, jerking her head up with wide eyes and scrambling back from the figure. “STAY AWAY FROM ME!” She yelled, eyes searching for something to defend herself as the figure jumped over the couch. 

 

Her hand grabbed the steel ornament that had fallen off the coffee table, throwing it towards him as hard as she could. But he caught it easily, turning and crushing the metal in his hand. Eyes wide with horror, Pepper forced herself to a standing, running for the elevator.

 

“FRID-” She tried to cry, before realizing why she hadn't responded. Her attacker shut her down, the AI couldn't send a suit to help her. Horrified, the girl tried to speed up. She had to escape before he-

 

A loud shot ran through the room, and blinding pain flew through Pepper as she crashed to the ground. Red blood pooled out of the hole in her calf, as her breathing picked up in horror. She’d been shot!  _ She’d been shot!! _

 

The gloved hand suddenly grabbed her ankle, throwing her back towards the center of the living room. The CEO tumbled, blood flying into the air as a bone or two cracked with her fall.

 

Pepper jerked up, pushing herself away with her only other foot. “No! No!” She yelled,”What do you want! Stay away!”

 

The black clad figure didn't respond, and simply raised his gun, aiming for her head. Pepper wanted to scream, wanted to cry, but there was no way to save herself. All she could do was stare at the barrel of the gun and wait for the sound of the-

 

**_CRASH!!_ **

 

Glass suddenly rained down inside the penthouse, a flying disk slamming into the stomach of her attacker and sent him crashing into the kitchen. Several cabinets crashed on top of him, and he went unmoving.

 

“Pepper!” Steve’s voice called out, making the woman turn towards him, covered in blood and red marks. He was wearing his full suit, the shield back in his arms. Next to him was Bucky, eyes narrowed towards the kitchen. Running behind them was Natasha, Clint, and Sam. 

 

“No! No!!” Pepper yelled in shock and relief. Before she could say anything else, however, the rubble began to move around as the figure sat back up. Eyes widening, and scrambling towards the Avengers in fear of her life. 

 

Steve quickly moved to stand in front of her, as he declared,”Sam, take Pepper to the quinjet!”

 

The Falcon didn't question the order, picking up the bleeding woman, wings unfurling as he pulled her into his arms. 

 

But they didn't move quick enough. The black figure emerged from the rubble, covered in plaster, and flicked his hand out. A small black blur flew past them, latching onto Sam’s wings. Instantly, they shut down, falling completely limp. The hero could only turn towards them in shock, before yanking the woman into a fireman’s carry and running away once more.

 

The Asset pulled himself to a standing, but despite the pain Captain’s shield would usually cause, he didn’t have a single scratch. He quickly turned to look at the people in front of him, his glassy eyes taking them in.

 

They weren’t his targets, he needed to kill Virgina Potts. He took a few steps forward, but then suddenly there was a body in front of him. 

 

“Hey kid, stop!” The voice snapped,”Don’t do this, don’t let HYDRA control you. Then they win! You have to fight against them!”

 

Asset turned his glassy brown eyes up to the face, and found himself staring at a blue eyed man with a metal hand. The Winter Soldier.. or the ‘traitor’ as handler called him. 

 

The Asset let his frown deeper, clenching his fist before he brought it up, slamming it into the man’s face as hard as he could. It sent the man sprawling to the floor.

 

“Buck!” The blonde one exclaimed, but there was no time to check on his friend. The Asset reached down to his side, picking up one of the swords. He did not reach for his gun, he did not have time to waste reloading. His target was getting away.

 

This was when all hell broke loose. The redhead and the blonde ran toward him, one holding something electric and another with arrows. 

 

Asset acted fast, ducking underneath her electricity and swinging his legs out beneath both of them. They moved back, and Asset swung the sword out in a wide fanning motion, catching the Archer’s bow within it. It flew past them, tumbling away as he looked after it. 

 

The woman moved in next, slamming the electric thing against his side. He felt the burst of energy go through him, but it was too weak to phase him. The woman’s blue eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by his reaction.

 

In that split second, the Asset grabbed her wrist, swinging her to the side and slamming her into the Archer. They both fell to the ground in a heap of limbs, giving Asset the chance to burst into a run, taking off through the hole and towards the jet as fast as he could. 

 

Exhaust suddenly burst from the jet, before it began to take off into the air. For a split second, Asset felt complete unhinged panic take over him.  _ No! No!  _ His target was getting away! He was failing his mission!

 

He wound up, leaping as high as he possibly could, only for his finger to barley graze the ship. It then took off, flying across the horizon and completely out of Asset’s sight. His eyes widened, filling with absolute horror.

 

He had failed.

 

Asset knew he couldn’t stay any longer, he couldn’t fight these people, he needed to get the the rendezvous point. His hands went to his belt, grabbing smoke grenades and tossing them as hard as he could towards the group of heroes. 

 

They exploded on impact, sending smoke high into the air. The ground darted through the heavy clouds, not about to let their foe go. But they all found the balcony completely empty. He was gone.

 

“Dammit!” Bucky yelled, slamming his fist into the side of the wall, sending rubble everywhere. 

 

He had seen the look, the first sign of emotions they had seen in those brown eyes. He was afraid, and Bucky knew why. HYDRA didn’t tolerate failure. 

 

A hand on his shoulder jerked him from his thoughts, making him turn to see Steve looking at him worriedly. “Buck, let’s hear back to the Helicarrier,” He replied,”We need to make sure Pepper is okay. We’ll have more chances to help that kid, I promise.”

 

“Yeah.. Yeah okay,” Bucky whispered, lowering his eyes, and following after the group. Even though they had been very kind to him, considering the circumstances, but they just didn’t get it. They didn’t see the fear in the boy’s eyes, they didn’t understand why he would be so scared. Bucky did.

 

_ We need to save him.. I need to help him..  _

 

\-- -- -- -- - -- --

 

“You worthless, fucking piece of shit!”

 

Several violent crashes rang through the room as Asset was thrown down onto the ground, a black eye forming along with several red, violent bruises. The handler then grabbed the short teen, slamming him against a nearby wall, his hands squeezing the boy’s throat tightly.

 

“We put all this effort into you and all you do is fuck everything up!” He yelled angrily,”You are nothing without us, do you understand me?! We made you, the least you can do is actually be useful!”

 

The Asset couldn’t respond even if he wanted to, as he desperately gasped for air, but did nothing else, too afraid of what Handler might do.

 

Dr. Muller watched for a little while longer, before he called,”That’s enough, let him go. We both know that the Avengers are to blame for his failure.”

 

Handler turned a dark glare towards Muller, before he released his hands. Asset tumbled to the ground, coughing and wheezing. He watched the teen attempt to catch his breath, before sending one last, swift kick to his stomach. Asset collapsed on the ground once more, having lost all his air once more.

 

The man turned toward the guards at the door. “Take him to The Chair,” He ordered, gaining two nods as the beefy guards moved forward, dragging the limp Asset from the room. Those empty brown eyes remained trained on the ground, he had given up fighting long ago.

 

Dr. Muller waited until the door closed, before turning back to the handler. “You know that this failure wasn’t his fault,” He snapped,”He’s only been on a few missions, he wasn’t prepared to take them all on at once.”

 

“It doesn’t matter, failure is failure,” Handler declared, blue eyes filled with annoyance. “He needs to understand that, and I won’t stop until he does.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The Avengers fix FRIDAY, and Rhodey thinks that he recognizes their young foe.


	4. Once Upon A Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HYDRA's next attack, their boldest one yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The screaming echoed throughout the base, sending shivers down many of the occupants. Two men within the room, however, weren’t screaming at all. Dr. Muller stood behind one of the techs, watching the voltage of The Chair. The Handler, meanwhile, simply watched the victim in front of him. 

 

“Raise the voltage,” He ordered, steel-like eyes refusing to release their gaze from the captive within the chair.

 

The brunette within the chair thrashed in pain, screaming as the shocks tore at every nerve from his feet to his brain. No matter how hard he tried, however, Asset would never escape. The restraints on his face and arm kept him firmly attached. All he could do was continue to scream, much to the Handler’s pleasure.

 

After several long minutes, the Handler finally spoke again. “Release him,” He ordered. The restraints instantly came undone with loud clangs. Without the support, Asset’s head slumped forward, and his body slumped forward in the chair.

 

The Handler walked forward, grabbing the young man’s hair, and yanking his head up. Once those blank eyes were staring at him, he leaned forward. “Now listen here, you worthless piece of shit,” He snarled,”I did not use up our resources for you to turn out as another failure. You will succeed, you will _ always _ succeed. You are nothing but an object for us to use, and that’s all you’ll ever be. Understood?!”

 

He then yanked the young man out of the chair, sending him tumbling to the ground. It didn’t take long for the scrawny male to get back up, and move into a kneeling position, submissively lowering his head to his master.

 

The man above him smiled, darkened eyes watching with sadistic glee. “Good… Very good,” He praised, before whipping around. He pointed to the nearest soldier. “You, all of you! Go gather up some of our finest soldiers. It is time for us to make our next move,” He declared.

 

The soldier quickly saluted, and ran from the room. He was followed by several others as they ran from the room. He waited until the room had gone silent, before looking back at the unmoving Asset. His glove clad hands slid under the chin, bringing those emotionless eyes to his own.

 

“And this time,” He promised,”You will  _ not _ fail.”

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

A few hours after the attack, Pepper was sitting in a conference room with the other Avengers. Her leg was healed from it's wound, but her mind was not.  _ I almost died…  _ She thought in horror.  _ Why? Why would HYDRA target me of all people?  _

 

She released a shaky breath, turning to look up at the group in front of her. The Avengers all seemed to be reacting differently to the event that had occured. Natasha was next to her, remaining her protective guardian, but Pepper could see the the thoughts underneath that steel gaze. Rhodey was holding her hand on her other side, running his thumb up and down her palm in a comforting gesture

 

Clint was sitting in the chair by Maria Hill, tapping his fingers on the metal table in obvious frustration. Sam sat across from them, rather still and staring at one point in Steve was right next to him, but was not looking at any of them. He was, instead, watching his friend pace.

 

Ever since they had arrived, Bucky had been pacing back and forth behind the table. He often would run his metal hand through his hair, and Pepper could see the tremor going through him, along with his unfocused eyes. The resurgence of HYDRA was getting to him.

 

Finally, the black clad, eyepatch wearing man at the front of the table had enough. “Barnes! Sit the fuck down!” Fury snapped,”We are not going to be able to concentrate on our next move if you dig a hole in my fucking floors!”

 

Bucky jerked up at the loud voice, his nerve filled blue eyes flicking towards Fury, before allowing himself to sit down. “I'm sorry.. I just.. I want to help that kid..” He replied. 

 

“Well you can’t do that through pacing, so sit down,” Fury ordered. The super soldier looked like he wanted to argue, but he simply closed his mouth, and fell into the seat by Steve.

 

Despite Fury’s initiative, everyone still seemed hesitant. The growing tension was finally released when Pepper spoke up. “I just.. I don’t understand!” She exclaimed,”After killing Ross and Zemo, why would they target  _ me? _ I don’t have anything to do with them! I just run the company!”   
  


“Did he say anything to you? Any of you?” Maria Hill asked,”Anything about his mission?” 

 

Pepper wracked her brain, her whole body beginning to shake again. “I… I don’t remember… It all happened so fast,” She whispered.

 

Bucky grunted across the table, shaking his head firmly. “He wouldn’t have. We aren’t permitted to speak during missions, we just have to focus on the mission. That’s why he retreated after Pepper was gone. His mission wasn’t to fight us. Even if the Avengers were the next target, we wouldn’t be allowed to attack them until our Handlers told us to,” He explained, his real hand squeezing at his metal one.

 

“They’re not your handlers anymore, Bucky,” Steve gently tried to comfort. He was about to go on too, but the dark look that his friend shot towards him caused him to freeze up, and lower his head. 

 

Maria looked at the redheaded woman, slowing down her typing. “Did FRIDAY record anything?” She suggested,”If we repair her, maybe we can see what she saw.”

 

“That won’t work, Hill,” Bruce said from his seat,”Tony told me about how JARVIS worked, but he never mentioned FRIDAY. Her code is completely different, and I wasn’t able to learn it before Tony d-”

 

Bruce suddenly tensed, moving to rub his hands, and look at his lap. Steve frowned, feeling another wave of guilt wash over him. When Thor and Bruce returned after their adventure, the doctor had been eager to share it with Tony. His despair at learning his friend had been missing for over a year broke all their hearts.

 

The slip caused several others in the room to tense up, and others to grow a very morbid look on their faces. The tension in the room increased tenfold, and even Fury and Maria grew depressed at the mention of the missing genius.

 

Only Black Widow dared to speak out in the suddenly hostile environment. “Then that means…” She slowly began,”We still have absolutely nothing to go on..”

 

The Avengers all looked towards their director for his answer. They wanted to hear something positive, but they knew the truth already. None of them were surprised when Fury released a heavy sigh, and nodded. “I’m afraid so.” He declared firmly.

 

”All we can do is wait for their next move.”

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

Two Weeks Later

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

They didn't have to wait long.

 

The organization was growing bolder every minute they remained undiscovered, and that was what led to their biggest act yet. 

 

Although the SHIELD facility in question was aware of the attacks that had recently occured, it was rather peaceful. The several employees were simply bustling around, transferring information as they normally would, and watching for anything suspicious on their radar. Yes, it was just another boring day with boring work.

 

An older agent sighed, pushing away from his desk, and headed to the bathroom. He was getting older, and his eyes often couldn’t handle staring at a computer for too long. The hall was rather empty, as most the agents had been slouched over their desk for several days because of the chaos.

 

Not that the older man thought it was a problem, of course, it gave him enough room to lean against the walls, and stretch his sore muscles. He heard the gentle cracks of his tense body, filling him with relief. 

 

But as he finished up, he realized that there was another sound… One he was not making. It sounded like thuds. The agent frowned, growing slightly annoyed. Were the new recruits goofing off again?

 

He looked towards the door, noticing it led to the control panel. His green eyes narrowed. I told those brats that if they wanted to keep working here, they’d have to act like the agents they are!   
  


The man stormed over, punching in the code. The door quickly slid open, and he instantly began to yell. “Now listen here, you punks! I told you-” He began, before freezing at the sight inside.

 

Instead of the young agents he expected, he saw the three agents assigned to the control room unconscious and tied up. There were two figures, both dressed in black with a familiar red symbol. There was a younger one, who looked like he couldn’t be even sixteen. The older had a much taller height, and a large gun in his hand.

 

His green eyes widened, opening his mouth to scream. But the younger was quick, he slammed his hand over the agent’s mouth while the other hand wrapped around his arms. The other soldier pressed a button on the panel, shutting the door. 

 

“Shhh… I wouldn’t want to have to kill you right away, old timer,” The older whispered,”Just let us do our work, and maybe you’ll get to live.”

 

The shocked agent had no chance to respond or fight back, however, as a shock of pain exploded through him and everything went black. 

 

Once the man was in the same position as the other three agents, the Handler cleared his throat. “Asset, you know what to do. Do it fast,” He ordered. 

 

Those blank eyes remained on him as Asset nodded, moving to sit down in the empty chair. His hands began to type away, examining every camera, angle, and air vent available. The Handler then took out several green ball-like objects.

 

The Handler knelt down to the opened vent, rolling them down, and tossing them inside. Then, he covered up the vent with a solid piece of metal (Any other holes within the room were covered in a similar fashion), and turned toward the Asset once more. 

 

“Do it,” He ordered.

 

The Asset instantly pushed a red button, turning on the air vents for every room except the one they were currently in. The Handler pressed a button on his own suit, and a soft hissing began to go through the vents.

 

Switching to the cameras, they watched as the confused agents began to look up at the green gas. It was too late for many, however, as the gas sent them into sweet unconsciousness. A few, however, began to realize what was going on.

 

Handler’s dark eyes widened, watching one of the agents cover his nose with a napkin and type away. “Shit! Shit!” He whispered, but that was all he could say before the alarm exploded in his eardrums as the last agent slumped forward. 

 

The man quickly pulled up his com. “Get in here, now! Get as much information as you can!” He ordered.

 

The door exploded open seconds later, as several soldiers wearing gas masks ran through the facility. Several of them ran to computers, pulling out their handheld devices which were then plugged into the computers, and began downloading all the data on it. 

 

The Handler growled, running a hand through his dark hair as he shakily turned towards the brainwashed Asset. Those blank eyes stared at him, and it filled the man with anger. 

 

“What the fuck are you just sitting there for?!” He snarled, grabbing the back of Asset's head and throwing him from the seat. “Get out there and do something useful!” 

 

The small figure quickly scurried out of the room, and the handler took over his position. He watched the cameras closely, keeping an eye on his creation. 

 

The man wasn't foolish, he knew who they would attract by attacking SHIELD. Unlike last time, however, Asset was prepared. 

 

With a smile growing on his pale face, he whispered,”Let's see how you fare  _ this  _ time, Avengers..”

 

\-- -- -- -- -- -- 

 

The roof exploded and collapsed from the force of the quinjet’s cannon, while the smoke gave them the perfect cover. The Avengers landed in the middle of the scrambling soldiers, Steve quickly declared,”Avengers! Remember why we are here! Destroy and apprehend!”

 

There were several affirmative responses, but Bucky didn’t even bother. He had to find that kid, he  _ needed _ to find that kid. If HYDRA was bold enough to attack SHIELD, they were smart enough to bring their strongest weapon with them. He didn’t care if he would get in trouble, saving that kid was his main focus.

 

The battle started before the smoke even cleared, with soldiers desperately trying to grab their devices as the Avengers threw them back. The few who managed to get back up grabbed their guns, and began firing rapidly.

 

Thinking fast, the Bucky grabbed a fallen metal plate, and sped towards the firing soldiers. The clinking of bullets against his makeshift shield quickly stopped after he slammed into the nearest one. Then, he flipped around and slammed the metal against the one nearby, and threw it like a frisbee at the last one. With a satisfying clang, the man fell the the ground.

 

As Bucky’s blue eyes turned to look for more, he felt something attached to his back, and a violent electric current exploded through him. It hurt, even for a super soldier, but not enough to bring him down. His metal hand reached back, tearing the item off. Then, he whipped around, turning to face his attacker.

 

It was the kid.

 

He was silent, unmoving, and almost completely invisible. His empty brown eyes stared straight at Bucky, hands in a position that showed he was ready to attack at any second. “Kid…” Bucky whispered, holding his hands up in a sign of peace. “Please.. I just want to talk to you!”

 

Much to his pain, his words were ignored. Bucky’s heart shattered more, for he knew that the poor child was deep under HYDRA’s control. He didn’t want to hurt him, but rendering the brainwashed man defenseless would likely be the only way he could save him.

 

Just as Bucky came to that resolve, the Asset dashed forward and threw a punch. Bucky barley had enough time to bring up his arm and block it. The force of the impact sent him stumbling back, and the kid quickly took the opportunity to lift his leg and kick Bucky. The man stumbled back into the line of fire, frantically grabbing a nearby soldier, and throwing him. He slammed into the kid, knocking them both to the ground.

 

Knowing he had only a little time, Bucky grabbed a gun and another metal plate. “Buck! Look out!” A voice called, making the man whip back towards the action, and noticed a large circular item with a red light that was blinking frantically

 

“Rhodes!” He called, as he threw the metal plate at the bomb. There was no need to say anything else, the Avengers quickly ducked, and War Machine lifted his arm and shot.

 

The explosion shook the building down to it’s foundation, sending the unprepared soldiers flying with the debris. The ceiling crumbled even more, and collapsed down further. The heroes didn’t dare move, waiting for the shaking to stop before they even dared to move.

 

By the time Bucky lifted his head from rubble again, the the clashing had stopped. He held his breath, slowly climbing to his feet again. “Steve..?” He called,”Anybody? Is.. Is everyone alright?!”

 

When he didn’t gain a response, he started to fear the worst. He stepped over the rubble, prepared to search as long as he had to. Before he could take another step, however,he felt something hard against the back of his head.

 

“Don’t. Move.”

 

Bucky constantly tensed, his heart beating a thousands miles a second. He didn’t dare try to move; he was a super soldier, but a shot to the head could still kill him.  He heard gentle footsteps, and then a tall man with thin black hair, and dark eyes walked in front of him. His darkened eyes were filled with sadistic glee.

 

“Well, well, well,” The man sneered,”The one and only Winter Soldier, here in the flesh.”

 

“That is  _ not _ my name!” Bucky snapped,”I am not your fucking slave anymore!”

 

His angered trembling and shouting caused the barrel against his temple to press closer in a threatening way. Bucky tensed again, and the man simply let out vicious laughter. “Careful, Winter. I don’t want to make Asset kill you just yet,” He teased.

 

Bucky’s blue eyes flicked to his side, moving his head slowly. Hose empty brown eyes stared back at him, and Bucky knew that a simple word was all it would take for the child to pull the trigger.

 

Before any of them could speak, there was a sound of a strangled yell. “Bucky!” Steve’s voice called out, and the two HYDRA members reacted fast. The man pulled out his own weapon, placing it on Bucky’s temple. Asset grabbed a second gun, moving in front of his handler and aiming straight at the Avengers.

 

As if on cue, several HYDRA soldiers rose from hidden spots, guns aimed and charged. Steve, Clint, Thor, Natasha, and Rhodey raised their weapons while Wanda and Vision readied their powers. For several moments, nobody moved.

 

“Captain, I suggest you stand down and allow us to leave,” The man calmly said, clicking the safety off his gun. “If we have to kill our way out of here, we won’t hesitate to.”

 

Steve raised his shield a little more, and snarled,”Nobody is going to leave here until you return what you stole, that includes the kid!”

 

To Steve’s surprise, the man faltered in confusion, but the burst into chuckles all over again. “Oh? You want Asset?” He chortled,” _ Seriously? _ ”

 

Steve frowned, his own bewildered expression evident on his face. After controlling his laughter, the HYDRA leader replied,”I apologize, Captain, but I simply find it funny that you care about  _ it _ now.”

 

His decision to call another human an ‘it’ was what Steve decided to give a snarled reply to. Rhodey, however, as much more focused on what the man implied.  _ Care about it now? So.. We have met him before? _ His dark eyes turned to look at the Asset, and his heart stopped.

 

Those familiar brown eyes, the messy hair, and the boyish face. It wasn’t the one he expected to see, but Rhodey still remembered it. Not from the present… But from his days at MIT. The Asset was not nameless, because Rhodey knew exactly who it was.

 

“T-Tony…?”


	5. Meeting Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers discover the identity of the Asset, and Dr. Muller starts to have doubts

_“T-Tony…?”_   


Rhodey’s heart was pounding in his ears, the world seemed to be fading away around him. All he could focus on was the kid- no, his friend. The more he stared at the face, the more he knew he was right.

 

His soft spoken declaration caused the Handler, whom had been teasing the angered Captain America, to stop. His sudden freeze transferred to Steve, whom had also caught Rhodey's soft utter. “What?” He asked. The Avengers grew confused, many pairs of eyes turning from Rhodey to the soldier.

 

Natasha forced herself to ignore the panic rising up in her. She turned her green eyes to the HYDRA leader, and watched his expression morph. The shock faded away, and a dark excitement grew in his eyes. _Why is he so happy? He would only react that way if…_ Her heart stopped, and a dark horror went through her veins.

 

“No…” She croaked.

 

The Handler’s dark laughter echoed through the building, and instantly Steve’s confusion vanished. He looked at the Asset once more, and saw the familiarity in an instant. That jawline, the eyes, even the lips. It was Tony..

 

HYDRA’s new weapon was Tony Stark.

 

For several moments, Steve was unable to form a thought. All he could do was shake his head constantly, and whisper,”No.. You c-couldn’t have!”

 

“Oh, but I did,” The Handler interjected, lowering his gun from Bucky’s temple. He moved around to Tony, threading his black clad hands through the messy brown hair. Rhodey released a strangled noise at the sight.

 

“You see, it’s hard to deny such a beautiful gift when it’s left right on your doorstep, right Rogers?” Handler continued, eyes alight with a sadistic joy.

 

Steve's whole being seemed to come to a stop as he realized just what the man implied, while Bukcy’s icy eyes filled with horror. The Avengers, however, remained confused.

 

“Steve… What is he talking about?” Sam questioned.

 

The Handler gasped, returning all attention to him. “Oh! He didn't tell you?” He asked, voice dripping with fake concern. “The great and powerful Captain America didn't think to tell you about what he did to Asset?”

 

Steve could feel the several gazes landing on him, but was so constricted by his own feelings he couldn't even move. The Handler snorted, before laughing even harder.

 

“Oh, this is amazing. Well, if he won't tell you, then I will,” He declared.

 

The man then moved to stand in front of the brainwashed man. “Your great and honorable leader broke Stark's reactor, and left his shield in his chest, and then left him to die in our base in Siberia. All alone.”

 

Steve couldn't handle it anymore. Guilt was blending with his rage as he raised his gun to shoot. In that same instant, Tony moved. He jumped in front of Handler, bringing himself to his fullest height.

The blonde quickly froze, his wide eyes staring at the empty brown ones that belonged   to the man that he had cursed to this fate. The shame within him grew even more apparent. “Tony..” He whispered.

 

The Handler clicked his tongue, shaking his head. “Don’t even try with your honeyed words, Captain, Asset only listens to _me_ ,” He replied,”And I will make sure that you all die with the knowledge that you caused Asset’s fate.”

 

Handler raised his gloved hand, and the many soldiers around them raised their weapons once more. Bucky felt panic, and knew he had to do something in order to save everyone.

 

His metal arm wrapped around the Handler’s ankle, before throwing him over his shoulder and into several soldiers. With the group caught off guard, the Avengers moved back into action. “Everyone, change of plans!” Steve called over the loudspeaker,”Get Tony!”

 

Bucky leapt to his full height as he threw a punch toward the brainwashed Stark. He couldn’t hold back, because he knew if they wanted to subdue Tony they couldn’t hold back. As if proving his point, the brunette instantly grabbed the arm he threw, and sent a swift kick to Bucky's stomach.

 

They grabbed for a few moments, each trying to attack the other, before help arrived. Natasha pulled out her Widow Bites, one in each hand, but Tony seemed to realize what was happening. He grabbed Bucky’s shoulder, using him as weight to kick both his legs at Natasha. The assassin barley got back in time.

 

Not about to grapple with Bucky again, Tony flipped over his shoulders, sending a swift kick to the ex-super soldiers back. The force wouldn't have been bad if Tony was still a normal human, but now it sent him stumbling forward into Natasha.

 

As their battle continued, the Handler quickly reached for his com. “Grab what information you have a retreat! Asset will hold them off!” He whispered.

 

His other hand reached to his belt, pulling off another circular ball from it, and tossing it. Soon, a thick cloud began to fill the room. The soldiers quickly used the cover to run, heading through the many exits and towards their jets.

 

Rhodey felt frantic as the cloud engulfed him, unable to see where his best friend had gone. _No! I can't lose him again!!_ He wanted to scream. “Somebody do something! We can't let them get away!” He yelled instead.

 

His eyes caught sight of the dark hair belonging to the leader, and he felt pure rage. He raised his gun, ready to shoot and end that monster’s life. Before he could even try to, pale hands suddenly wrapped around his arm, pulling it down and sending the shot into the ground below them.

 

The weight then shifted, grabbing hold of his middle. His brown eyes widened at the sight of Tony, and suddenly he felt frozen. He knew he should fight, but he couldn't hurt his friend-

 

He didn't have a chance to choose, as Tony slammed something against his chest, and a violent electric current ran through his whole being. The screens within the War Machine flashed several times before going offline. Everything went black, and the War Machine crashed to the ground.

 

Asset leapt away just before the crash, landing silently on his feet. Suddenly, a red light filled his vision. Asset froze, looking for an escape, but there was none. His empty eyes looked through the red, and saw the producer of the trap in front of him, her hands glowing with the same color.

 

Then, the dome began closing in, red tendrils moving closer to his head. Asset’s breath hitched, realizing that the enemy was winning. He was trapped.

 

The Avengers believed the same thing as well, with Steve shielding Wanda as the others fought. “Nice and easy, we’re almost there,” He whispered, watching the brainwashed STark lower himself further in a desperate attempt to escape his capture.

 

Just as the tendrils reached his temple, a dark laugh echoed through the chamber. Steve turned his head, noticing the sadistic grin from the Handler. His jaw tightened, anger filling his system.

 

“You honestly think that we would just create another super soldier without thinking, Captain?” He sneered,”We’ve evolved past that, you fool.”

 

Those evil eyes turned to the dome, as he raised his voice. “Asset,” He called,” _Schatten_.”

 

There was no time to react, as a black smoke began to fill the dome. A black substances exploded from him, creating its own dome and then expanding out. Wanda released a frantic noise, desperately trying to hold it together. It was too strong, the black dome shattered through, and then sank away.

 

Tony then stood, turning towards Steve and Wanda, his empty brown eyes replaced by black sclera, and golden iris and black pupils. He extended his hand, and the same lightless black spawned in his palm, molding into the shape of a thin sword. Steve’s eyes widened in horror. _How…?_   


Handler’s dark laughter echoed in his head as Tony flew forward, his fist colliding with Wanda’s face. The girl flew back, and Steve made a move to grab the brunette. Tony’s hand extended, the black shadows rising from the ground and wrapping around Steve’s own outstretched hand.

 

Clint quickly drew one of his specialized arrows, but the same shadow-like webs rose up from the ground, wrapping around him and Natsaha. Then, it began to climb onto Wanda and Steve as well, specifically around the girl’s hands. Vision and Sam remained in the air, afraid of moving, lest they get trapped too.

 

“What did you to to him?!” Steve demanded. That lightless substance went to cover his mouth as well, but the Handler held up a hand towards Tony, and the movement ceased. That bastard’s dark eyes turned to Steve, a smirk evident.

 

“What I did to Asset? I fixed it, and now I’m using it against you!” He declared proudly.

 

“Tony Stark is _not_ a thing, he’s a human being,” Natasha firmly argued, her voice shuddering with anger the slightest bit.

 

The Handler turned to her, still smiling. “A human being that your leader left to die,” He reminded the Assassin.

 

Steve felt the churning of guilt in his stomach, and desperately yanked against the bindings. “I will save him, I will stop you!” He yelled,”You won’t get away with this!”

 

“Oh, Captain,” The Handler whispered, placing his hand in Tony’s hair once more. “I already have.”

 

The soldiers raised their guns, but the Handler sliced his hand through the air. “No,” He firmly stated,”We have our orders, and killing them is not part of it. Our work here is done.”

 

Several ladders descended from the broken roof. The soldiers who grabbed onto them were quickly lifted from the ground and out of the building. The handler and Tony followed in suit, disappearing from view. As soon as the sound of engines faded away, the dark bonds faded away.

 

Steve’s tense muscles quickly sent him forward, running outside of the compound and looking at the big, blue expanse. There was nothing, the ship was gone, and so was Tony. “Oh my god..” He whispered, the world around him suddenly spinning. He stumbled backwards, the compound becoming the only thing holding him up.

 

It was if the true realization had just hit him. In his desperate attempts to keep Bucky safe from HYDRA and those who wanted to control him, he sent Tony to the same fate.

 

_What have I done?!_

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

Not even twenty minutes later, the Avengers had gathered at the Helicarrier. The only sound was the slight whirring of Rhodey’s leg braces as he paced back and forth. Fury watched them, still trying to process the news he had heard. None of the other Avengers spoke, all in varying forms of shock.

 

After several long minutes of silence, Rhodey whipped around towards Steve, and slammed his hands on the glass table. Steve jumped, and went to snap at Rhodey for scaring him, but then he saw the rage buried within those chocolate eyes.  “Tell me, _right fucking now_ , how HYDRA would be able to kidnap Tony,” He snarled.

 

“Rhodey I don’t-”  


“Don’t even fucking try, Rogers! You all have fought them hundreds of times, and Tony has been nearly kidnapped thousands of times. What could have _possibly_ been different about this time?!” Rhodey demanded, voice raising with every sentence.

 

Steve felt the guilt pooling into him again, while his mouth felt as if it was glued shut. He was afraid… If he told the truth…

 

“It was our fault.”

 

All heads turned to see a solemn Bucky, whom had pushed himself off the wall and was holding his head down in shame. Steve felt cold flow through his veins. “Bucky, wait,” He croaked,” You don’t have to take the-”

 

Rhodey looked like he was about to yell again, but Bucky beat him to it. “No! Steve, it was our fault. If we want to help Tony, we need to be honest,” He snapped, blue eyes burning with determination.

 

Turning to look at the others, he said,”We fought him at the HYDRA base in Siberia. He was outnumbered and we didn't stop to think about that. Steve slammed his shield in his arc reactor and the suit died… Then we left him there..”

 

The silence and tension in the room was suffocating. Even those who had still been mad at Tony, like Clint and Scott, looked horrified. “Why would you do that?!” Clint yelled,”Why would you leave him there, Steve?! He isn't a super soldier!”

 

“But… He attacked Bucky!” Steve exclaimed,”What was I supposed to do?!”

 

Natasha didn't even give Steve a chance. “ _Why?”_ She asked,”I know Stark. He doesn't attack without a reason. _Why_ would he have started attacking you?”

 

Steve frowned, lowering his head in shame again. He didn't want to tell the truth, but he didn't want to have Bucky speak for him anymore. “Zemo… He showed Tony the video of… The Winter Soldier killing his parents… I knew, but never told him…” He whispered.

 

Once again, Steve did not want to look up, but he heard a soft sniffling. When he looked up, he saw Wanda, staring at him with eyes that burned with tears and rage. She jerked to her feet, chair slamming to the ground.

 

“What is wrong with you?!” She yelled,”Did you already forget why I hated him so much?! I blamed him for my parent's death! You didn't cast that aside, so why are his feelings any different?! Why didn't you tell him?! Those were his parents?!”

 

“Wanda, I-”

 

“Shut up! I don't care what you have to say! I was on your side, but now I'm with Stark! The whole reason this happened was because _you_ never told him something he should have already known! They were _his_ parents! HIS!”

 

Wanda's resolve collapsed, and the glowing red that had begun to flow around her faded away. She buried her face in her hands, breaking into sobs, and running out of the room.

 

Steve felt his own eyes burn, as he softly whispered,”I'm sorry…”

 

“Sorry won't fucking cut it anymore,” Fury snapped,”Get rid of anything else you had planned, because we aren't going to stop until we get Iron Man back.”

 

The Avengers did not argue, for they did not want to. They would find their teammate, and they were going to bring him home.

 

\-- -- -- -- -- -- --

 

The snow surrounded the jets like a cloak as they moved into the hanger, the landing gear helping them land perfectly. As the ramp began to slide up to meet them, the door to the hideout closed shut.

 

The ramps connected with the opening, and several soldiers stomped out. Dr. Muller waited for a moment, hesitant to approach. But as he saw the familiar form of his creation, he quickly moved toward them. Handler held up his hand, and Asset stopped next to him, hands at his side.

 

Threading his fingers together, he walked toward them. “How was the mission?” He asked, seeing a prideful look on the Handler's face.

 

The Handler, dark eyes burning with pride, declared,“The Avengers discovered Asset’s true identity, and he used _that_. We got the information as well, I believe that this was much more than a success.”

 

Muller sighed in relief, and inclined his head forward. “That's good to hear,” He whispered.

 

Hander made a noise in return, before grabbing Assets shoulder, and shoving him to the nearby soldier. “Take him to the Chair,” He ordered.

 

Asset was roughly dragged away, and didn't even try to fight. Muller’s blue eyes widened, confusion and anger filling him.

 

“What are you doing?!” He exclaimed,”You just said it was a success!”

 

Handler tsked, and began walking down the ramp once more. “We can't be too careful, Muller. Asset might remember them, we must destroy any chance of that happening.”

 

Muller quickly followed him down the hall. “But he's fought them twice now, and never hesitates to! This isn't necessary-”

 

“Excuse me?” Handler snapped, her dark eyes staring into Muller's soul. “Are you questioning my orders? Might I remind you, your work has already been done. I could terminate you right now if I needed to. But with the information you now know, I feel I'd need to do a much more… Permanent termination.”

 

Muller tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but it wouldn't go down. He felt fear grow within him as the Handler leaned closer. “So, I'll ask again. Are you. Questioning. My. Orders?”

 

Quickly shaking his head, Muller whispered,”N-no, sir.”

 

Handler leaned back, that sadistic smile on his face once more. “Good,” He softly replied,”Have a good night, doctor.”

 

Muller tried not to flinch at the hand slap on his shoulder, and quickly gave a soft farewell. He quickly rushed back to his lab, sitting on his chair and placing his head in his hands.

 

 _I don't like this… This is wrong. He shouldn't be punished like that. He did everything right.. This all is wrong.._ Muller thought.

 

Despite his thoughts, he didn't care move. His fear of what might happen if he tried to interfere was too heavy.

 

All he could do was lean farther into his hands, and listen to the Asset’s blood curdling screams.


	6. Reaching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Muller and The Avengers both know they must take action

Over the next few weeks, HYDRA became strangely silent. There were no assassination attempts, no robberies, and no chances to rescue Tony.

 

Steve desperately wanted to believe that the reason for the silence was in order for the organization to keep their super soldier safe, but he wasn’t a fool. Tony’s handler (thought Steve cringed at the use of such a word) acted proud and even braffed once they all figured the truth out. Steve knew they were planning something big.

 

But it was hard to even think of stopping HYDRA’s plans when he was drowning in guilt. Tony was his teammate, his friend, and he was trapped in the exact same situation Bucky had been in… _And it’s all because of me…_

 

The Avengers had become tense around him, even those who didn’t even like Tony Stark were in agreement that Steve had gone too far the moment he had decided not to tell Tony about his parents. Of course, they were all smart enough to realize that they hadn’t exactly treated Tony the best either, so Steve wasn’t the only one overflowing with guilt.

 

_Still… What was I thinking?! Why was I so quick to forget about his feelings? I’m such an idiot… If only I-_

 

“Steve!” A firm voice called, jerking him from his thoughts. He turned his head, and found Sam staring at him with concern. “You alright there?”

 

Steve’s face flushed a soft pink, and he quickly said,”Yeah, I am… I’m just… Thinking about some things.”

 

“Well get your head out of the clouds now, Rogers,” An annoyed Fury snapped,”I’m trying to explain how we’re going to rescue the person _you_ left behind. Remember him? Or has it slipped your mind?”

 

The super soldier’s face went redder, and he quickly turned his blue eyes back to the display of holograms in front of them in an effort to avoid the truth. On the screens was all the information they had collected about their HYDRA organization’s return and Tony.

 

“So far, they have only been robbing stores and trying to kill people, but even that has recently stopped,” Fury explained, opening a file of the lists of people killed and places robbed. Steve noticed how most the places that had been robbed had something to do with technology or artillery.

 

Natasha leaned forward and continued,”We have enough evidence to believe that they haven’t been trying to build a new base. They’re most likely in one of their old hideouts trying to wait us out.”

 

She touched another file, revealing a large map covered with dots, each representing a HYDRA base they had raided or at least known about, some that were found before the Avengers were even _thought_ of.

 

Rhodey, who was still angry with pretty much all of them, frustratingly demanded,”So we’re just going break into every one until we find out where they’ve trapped Tony?”

 

“Won’t they catch on after a while?” Clint queried, eyeing Rhodey nervously to make sure that he wasn’t angering the Colonel.

 

Fury shook his head, and explained,”We aren’t going to barge in guns blazing, Barton. We’re going to scout their bases, and try to find out which has the most activity, or any activity at all.”

 

Thor released a hum of agreement. “Ay, before battle we often would try to discover or enemy’s paths before an attack, it helps to understand and gain the element of surprise,” He commented.

 

“Which is exactly what we are going do!” Fury interjected, hands going behind his back and straightening up. “It may take a bit of time, so everyone better be in it for the long haul.”

 

The group of heroes quickly nodded. Bruce’s eyes flashed green for a moment, and he firmly snapped,”I don’t care how long it takes, I just want Tony back.”

 

“Well you won’t get _Tony_ back,” The angered voice that belonged to James Barnes cut through their thoughts.

 

The group turned to the doorway and found the man standing in it, fists clenched, and eyes glazed over with ice. Rhodey was up in an instant, staring at the ex-winter soldier with rage. “And what the fuck is that supposed to mean, Barnes?” He sneered.

 

“Exactly what I said; When we get Tony back he won’t be _your_ Tony,” Bucky explained,”They’ve tortured him, wiped his memories, experimented on him, brainwashed him, and used him to murder and torment. We may be able to save him, we may be able to help with his memories, but he won’t ever be the person he was before. Some things… You can never forget. Y-you never can...”

 

None of the heroes missed the pronoun change at the end, it was clear that Tony wasn’t the only one he was referring to....

 

The ice melted away, revealing the vulnerability hidden underneath him as he fell into his own memories. Steve quickly left his seat, gently placing a hand on Bucky’s shoulder in a form of comfort; The brunette refused to look at him.

 

After a tense, pregnant pause, it was Wanda who broke through the silence. “We can still try,” She declared,”Even if Tony never completely recovers, at least he won’t be in their claws anymore.”

 

Several of the Avengers, despite the reaction she had a couple weeks ago, looked at her in surprise. Bruce and Thor, however, smiled towards her with pride.

 

“The lass is right,” Thor commented,”The Man of Iron is still our friend, no matter what form.”

 

“And I’m pretty sure we’re at least a little better than the company there probably is at HYDRA,” Scott joked.

 

Clint smirked a bit, turning back to Bucky. “You, Buck, is he right? Are we better?” He asked, putting on a ‘jealous girlfriend’ voice.

 

Although his eyes still held fear, their banter managed to bring the tiniest of smiles to the man’s face. “Yeah… You are, a lot,” He said softly, the joy obvious in his voice.

 

With a sense of happiness once more in the room, the Avengers turned back to the Director filled with determination. The eyepatch clad leader smirked, sending a nod towards Bucky, and firmly saying,”Alright ladies, let’s get down to business.”

 

\-- -- -- -- -- -- --

 

Dr. Muller desperately tried to block out the Asset’s screams, hide the pain he felt from the sounds or the cringes that routinely appeared on his face, but it was hopeless. Those pain filled screams were searing deep into his soul.

 

Once again, Asset had been forced into The Chair simply because the Handler decided that they couldn’t take any chances (A bullshit excuse, in Muller’s opinion). Muller really didn’t believe all the punishment was needed when the project had obviously worked so well; Honestly, he wasn’t sure he even believed in the project anymore…

 

Those pained screams clawed at his heart, shredding it into pieces, and shriveling up into a mass of dark guilt. _I can’t handle this anymore!_

 

He wanted to run to the Chair, yank the innocent man away from HYDRA’s clutches, and whisk him back to the Avengers. If only he could… But such a revolt was impossible. All the Handler had to do if he wanted to get rid of him was give a simple word. Hell, he would probably force Asset to get rid of him if it came to that.

 

But the doctor wasn’t just going to do _nothing_.

 

When the screams finally died down and the sound of physical violence took its place, the doctor steeled himself, and walked straight through the doors with a rigid, confident for and his head held high.

 

The handler turned toward the noise, his hand still wrapped around the Asset’s neck. A smile rose on his face. “Ah, doctor! Hello! What can I do for you?” He asked in a tone that sounded way too domestic for the current situation.

 

Muller took a shaky breath before his forced his eyes up and demanded,”I’ve come to request to take Asset down to my lab for a bit and check out his injuries.”

 

The Handler almost immediately scoffed. “They’ll be healed in less than an hour, don’t even bother with it.”

 

“No!” Muller exclaimed, and quickly backtracked,”I… I want to watch his body as it heals. Electric shocks can damage nerves and even strain your heart. I want to see how his enhanced body manages to fix itself.”

 

With his explanation finished, the doctor made sure to smile wickedly and rub his hands together for good measure.

 

Thankfully, his act seemed to placate the handler’s suspicion. “Very well,” The man said with a smile, releasing his hand from around the Asset’s neck. It slid down, grabbing the hem of the Soldier’s suit and throwing him down onto the cold, concrete ground

 

“Asset,” The handler snarled,”Follow Doctor Muller, do as he commands. If you don’t, I _will_ hear about it. Understood?”

 

The soldier gave a firm, quick nod, not daring to look away from the floor as he pushed himself back onto his feet. The octor’s shriveled heart was now melting with pity, and he cold barley choke out a simple order,”Follow me.”

 

Muller turned and headed down the hall, not even trying to listen for Asset’s footsteps. The young man was an assassin; his footsteps would only be heard if he wanted them to be. It also helped that Muller knew Asset would never dare to disobey an order.

 

Once they were safely behind the metal lab doors, Muller whipped around and grabbed the Asset’s hands. He winced, the wrists were rubbed completely raw from being in the Chair’s bindings. He pulled the Asset’s arms under the sink, turning on the old water and allowing it to run over the abused flesh. The soldier flinched at first, but after a few seconds, untensed at the feeling of the cold.

 

Muller then grabbed a washcloth and some hydrogen peroxide, pouring a bit on the washcloth, and beginning to dab it on the raw wrists. Those empty brown eyes watched his every move, but never betrayed a single emotion.

 

Suddenly feeling awkward, Muller explained,”I’m uh…. Just cleaning up your cuts so that they feel better. I know you have a healing factor, but it still probably hurts a lot, and you can never be too careful with infections!”

 

He chuckled, but Asset didn’t react to his joke; Not even a blink. He huffed awkwardly, and softly said,”Hand me your other arm, please.”

 

A few peaceful minutes later, the wounds were healing well and some of the guilt was no longer trying to break his shoulders.

 

However, just as the doctor finished up, the door to the lab slid open. The dark eyes of the Handler peering in, and instantly catching sight of the hydrogen peroxide on the counter. Those eyes then turned into black voids of anger. “Why were you cleaning his cuts?”

 

His voice, although calm and collected, held an undertone of danger that Asset had come to recognize. The experiments eyes lowered to the ground, head bowed, hands clasping in front of him, and backing towards the shadows.

 

It was only thanks to Asset’s reaction that Muller realized just how dangerous his situation was becoming. “I… W-well… You told me that infections have never happened before, a-and I was worried about how his advanced cells would react if he got an infection so I-”

 

“Oh you were, were you?” Handler questioned, voice dripping with fake interest. “If that’s the case, then why did you lie to me, doctor?”

 

Muller felt a lump suddenly take residence in his throat, refusing to leave. No words would leave despite how hard he tried to force them out.

 

Those dark eyes looked to where Asset was, hunched back in the shadows as much as possible. Handler snapped his fingers, pointing to the floor next to him. The brainwashed young man didn’t hesitate to follow the order

 

Before the Asset could even stop walking, Handler snatched his freshly cleaned wrist, raising the whole arm up into the air. From his belt, he pulled out a sharp knife.

 

“You seem to forget the precarious situation you are in, Muller,” He sneered, running the knife up and down the Asset’s pale skin. “Asset is _mine_.” With that word, he dug the knife into Asset’s skin, slicing across horizontally. After he pulled it from the cut, he lowered it about half an inch.

 

“And I will do to him.”

 

 

_Slice_

_  
_

 

“Whatever I want.”

 

 

_Slice_

_  
_

 

“Whenever I please”

 

The doctor had no choice but to watch as the Handler carved deeply into the Asset’s pale skin, sending blood rolling all the way down to the elbow and dripping off onto the ground. He made sure to give the other arm the same treatment.

 

After he finished, the Handler pointed the bloody knife at Muller. “If you continue this little ‘change of heart’ you seem to be having, Asset will suffer for your mistakes, and I will show you how easy it is to kill someone who doesn’t have a healing factor. DO I make myself clear?”

 

Mutely, the pale doctor gave the smallest of nods. A sadistic smile rewarded him, and all anger was returned to the Asset.

 

Suddenly, the Handler backhanded the soldier backwards, then using his other hand to throw him forward in the other direction; A move that would have given any normal human really bad whiplash. In the end, Asset merely tumbled to the ground.

 

“Go back to your cell, Asset,” The Handler ordered with a snarl, kicking the side of the young man’s chest to emphasize his point.

 

The Asset nodded, shakily standing p once more. He turned, bowing at the man who had just beaten him up, and walking ot of the doorway. Before he fully left, however, his eyes flickered back towards the doctor once more; Then, he vanished around the corner.

 

Handler smirked towards the doctor once again. “Remember this warning doctor. You are on thin fucking ice,” He hissed. Then, just as quickly as he had appeared, the Handler vanished as well.

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

Another few weeks went by, and their plans seemed hopeless.

 

Some of the bases were completely destroyed, or rotted and cracked. Others _did_ have activity, but that was no help either. The bases which were active were all exactly the same from the outside. Same amount of guards, same guard times, and the same exact people coming and going.

 

Natasha felt anger swell around her heart. _They know we’re trying to get Tony back, they’re keeping every base exactly the same so we can’t tell where they’re keeping him… Those bastards._

 

After a long couple weeks of nothing, Natasha almost wanted to give in. It was obvious HYDRA at least had a hint of what may be going on, or at least had planned for them to try such a thing. She knew they would never give in.

 

But then, while scouting one of the German bases, the Avengers got their first major break.

 

She had been watching them all day, once again seemingly finding nothing. But then, one of the large doors to the base opened up and a man came out. It wasn’t a guard… It was… A doctor?

 

The pale doctor seemed tense and exhausted, turning his strained eyes around the base for a moet before walking towards the trees that were surrounding the base. Natasha eagerly followed, staying in the thick pine trees for cover until he stopped at a wide clearing, pulling his glasses off and rubbing at his face tiredly.

 

That was when Natasha made a foolish mistake. While trying to creek closer on her tree, she grabbed onto a small branch for support. For several seconds, it seemed stable, and then suddenly snapped. The woman nearly fell out of the trees, but managed to catch herself. However, it was too late, the doctor had seen her.

 

His eyes widened, whipping around towards Natasha. The spy didn’t try to hide, knowing she’d been caught. Instead, she pulled out one of her special knives and got ready to take the doctor down when he tried to go for help.

 

But… He didn’t.

 

Instead, his hands went into the pockets of his lab coat, yanking out a pen from his pen pocket and a piece of paper. He scribbled something down quickly, and then let the piece of paper fall to the floor. He turned back to Natasha, motioning his eyes towards it, and then wandering back over to the HYDRA base.

 

Only after he was inside did Natasha dare creep down from the tree, slowly creeping through the snow and picking up the torn piece of paper from the ground. Once again, her expectations were changed as her eyes roamed the paper.

 

 

_Veränderung Tea House_

_  
_

 

_6:00 AM_

_  
_

 

_Please Come_

_  
_


	7. Tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doctor Muller and Natasha meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter is short, it's more of a transition chapter than anything. It works better alone.

Natasha rubbed her thumb along the edge of her tea cup, staring at the steam that rose above it. Her eyes left the sight, looking around the small building for any sign of the doctor she was supposed to meet. 

 

She saw Clint nearby, he was wearing casual clothes but his hair was colored black and he had a fake beard on; if things went south, he was her backup.  _ Hopefully it doesn’t go that way…  _ Natasha thought desperately.  _ This may be our only hope to save Tony. _

 

Then, she saw him. The doctor was wearing a belstaff coat, a black scarf, sunglasses, and a hat over his blonde hair along with a suitcase clutched in his hands. He looked around nervously, and then scurried over to where she was sitting. 

 

Muller seemed extremely tense and anxious, to the point that when he pulled his chair out the sound of it scraping against the ground made him startle. 

 

Once he was sitting down, he kept the suitcase in his lap. He took several deep breaths, turning his nervous eyes up to Natasha. 

 

“Thank you for doing this…” He whispered quietly,”I know my request probably was weird, I really don’t deserve your trust.”

 

Natasha took a sip of her tea before she responded. “I don’t trust you,” She said firmly,”I’m doing this for Tony.”

 

The doctor had the decency to look ashamed at Natasha’s words. “Yes of course, you’re right,” He whispered, looking around nervously again. 

 

The assassin frowned, and calmly asked,”Why are you so nervous?” 

 

With one more quick scan of the tea house, the doctor leaned forward. “I’m on a short leash right now,” He admitted,”Apparently since Asset- Sorry, I mean since Tony’s perfectly brainwashed, I’m no longer useful. I have been told many times that they can get rid of me at any time…”

 

“Get rid of you as in kill you or let you go?” Natasha asked, adding a few sugars to her rapidly cooling yes. 

 

The doctor gulped at the aspect, quickly shaking his head. “No, no, no, they’d never let me go, I know too much. I’ve already been told that my termination would be much more… Permanent,” He croaked out, the last word much quieter than the rest. 

 

Suddenly, Natasha felt a bit of irritation. “Is that why you’re suddenly remorseful? Because they’re threatening to kill you? After torturing our teammate for so long,  _ now  _ you regret it?” She hissed. 

 

Muller, to his credit, didn’t deny her claims. Instead, he looked down and replied,”Even if he did well, even if nothing went wrong on a mission, they would still hit him, insult him… After he fought you guys, they sent him to the chair despite the fact he never showed signs of remembering you. And then, when I tried to help him afterwards, his handler made several more wounds all over him to make a point. It’s- It’s… I can’t stand by it anymore.” 

 

There was a beeping noise, making the doctor jump. He pulled his coat back, looking at his watch. “I have to go, I’ve already been here too long,” He whispered,”I’ll be in contact soon, I promise.” 

 

The suitcase he had been clutching close went to the ground, and he pushed it to her side of the table. “The combination is the date that caused everything,” He finished, not even taking the time to push his chair back in as he left. 

 

Natasha watched him go, and then turned back to Clint. He looked just as curious as her, so she quickly pulled out her phone and texted him. “ _ We’ll take it back to the Avengers compound and have it scanned before we open it.”  _

 

Clint was quick to answer.  _ “Do you really think we can trust this guy?”  _ He asked.

 

Natasha frowned, taking a moment to think.  _ “No,”  _ She admitted.  _ “But he’s the only option we have.”  _

 

Natasha left first, heading in a different direction than Clint as to not cause suspicion. Even though they were trying to be cautious, she could barely stop her mind from wandering. 

 

She was afraid, afraid that they would never be able to save their teammate, to save their friend…

 

To save the one they had wronged so horribly. 

 

— — — — — —

 

When they returned to the compound, Fury was already there. Maria and Phil quickly took the case from them, and went to get it scanned. Meanwhile, the remaining Avengers waited anxiously to hear what Natasha has found out. 

 

“I didn’t learn much,” Natasha admitted,”But from what Muller said, it sounds like he’s on thin ice with HYDRA. I think that’s why he gave us the suitcase instead of telling us outright.” 

 

Bucky made a noise of agreement. “It makes sense,” He agreed,”When I was there, they tended to get rid of people they no longer needed very quickly. They probably are only keeping him around just in case.”

 

Steve frowned, he always did when Bucky mentioned HYDRA. Natasha wasn’t sure why he hated it so much, she thought it was better for Bucky to let it all out rather than hold it in. 

 

Before any more awkward sentences could be bounced around the room, Fury and the two agents returned with the case.

 

“It’s cleared,” Coulson said,”But we haven’t been able to open it. The case is fortified by metal and has a passcode, we don’t want to break it open in case something gets broken.”

 

Bruce looked at the case, and replied,”Six digit password… Did he give you any hints, Natasha?” 

 

The woman nodded. “He said that the password was the date that caused everything.”

 

The cryptic words made several of the Avengers frown, scraping their minds for what the answer to the riddle could be. Steve, however, turned extremely pale. He gulped, and then walked over to the suitcase.

 

Everyone watched with interest as the man punched in a code. ‘121691’ Instantly, the suitcase beeped and a green light illuminated them for a moment before opening up. 

 

Rhodes frowned at the sight, and quickly asked,”How did you know what the code was?” 

 

The super soldier frowned, his skin going even paler as he knew he had to admit the reason he knew. “December sixteenth, nineteen-ninety-one,” Steve croaked out,”The day Tony’s parents died…”

 

The colonel’s eyes widened, and he quickly buried his face in his hands. Bruce was quick to place his hand on the man’s back, trying to comfort him. 

 

Meanwhile, Steve started pulling things from the suitcase. There was a thick file, a USB stick, and a simple piece of paper that had a phone number on it. Steve picked up the paper, reading aloud,”This is the number for my burner phone. Call me two days after you open the case.” 

 

He placed down the paper and brought the file out and read,”Experiment eight… Tony Stark.” He took a quick look at the first few pages, not really reading them but more examining them. “It looks like they’re reports… About what they did to St-Tony..”

 

“Damn,” Clint muttered,”He really is sticking his neck out for us if he got us all that… HYDRA is very careful with their files.”

 

Steve then put the file down, and picked up the USB. “I’m kind of scared to know what’s on this one…” He muttered. 

 

Natasha had to agree with him, but she knew they had to look at it eventually. Thankfully, that time was delayed by Fury snatching the USB from Steve and declared,”We’ll take a look at this first, just in case it has some viruses or bugs on it.”

 

Steve seemed perfectly fine with it as well; He let out a relieved breath, and whispered,”Y-Yeah, you can… You can do that..”

 

“Meanwhile,” Fury interjected,”You guys read that file. I want a report on it later.”

 

The super soldier frowned, his hands shaking as he said,”With all due respect, sir, couldn’t some shield agents do that too?” 

 

Fury seemed to ponder this for a moment. “They could,” He admitted, and then his face turned stone cold once more. “But this is about the team member  _ you  _ failed. You have to face what is in that folder, Rogers, because everything in there is your fault.”

 

With that final declaration, Fury whipped around and left the room compound with Maria following after him.

 

— — — — — — —

 

Doctor Muller was very careful when he returned from the tea house. He even made sure to go to the farmer’s market so that he could say that was the reason he had gone out. 

 

He had thought it was enough, he had thought he’d kept their suspicions at bay. Oh, how foolish he had been.

 

The doors of the compound slid open and he hurried inside, looking around nervously. He saw no one, and let out the air he had been holding. He went to walk further in, when there was a sharp pain against the back of his head. He crashed to the ground, his vision swimming.

 

Muller whimpered a bit, pushing himself onto his elbows as a laughter echoed through the room. His heart stopped, recognizing the voice… It was the handler.

 

His vision cleared, the doctor could finally see where everyone was. The handler stood over him, a sadistic grin on his face. Next to him stood Tony, his blank eyes staring at Doctor Muller completely unmoving. On both sides of them were several other soldiers, their faces matching the handler’s.

 

The handler clapped a few times, casually saying,”I have to commend you, Doctor. You almost got away with it, you really almost did! If you hadn’t tried to help Asset behind my back, I wouldn’t have been suspicious enough to have someone follow you. If only you could have acted for a little longer.”

 

Muller gulped, his whole body beginning to shake with fear. “Sir, please-” He croaked, but the Handler held his hand up to cut him off. 

 

“Pleading won’t help you now, Muller,” He snarled,”You have already been given too many chances. Imprisonment is too risky, the only thing I want from you is your dead body. It’ll be used to show the Avengers what happens when they try to mess with us.”

 

The handler turned, and took the gun out of his holster. He aimed it at Muller, but then pulled back suddenly. “No, I won’t kill you… Your creation will,” He declared, turning and handing the gun to Tony. “Asset, kill him,” He ordered. 

 

The brainwashed man took the gun from his handler, moving in front of his handler, and clicking the safety off the gun. As he raised it, sadness filled Muller’s heart. Tears fell down his cheeks.

 

“I’m… I’m so sorry...” He whispered,”I tried, I really did… I’m so sorry, Tony…” He lowered his head, shutting his eyes tight, and waited.

 

_ BANG! _

 

\-- -- -- -- -- -- --

 

A couple days passed by, and none of the Avengers had managed to gather the courage to open the file that sat before them. Thankfully, Phil realized why and convinced Fury to give them more time. 

 

This didn’t call Natasha, however. She had tried calling the burner phone two days later, just as the note had said. It went straight to voicemail every time… 

 

_ Was it all a trick?  _ She wondered.  _ Was it just to give us false hope? Or was it to brag about their accomplishments?  _

 

She shared her concerns with Clint, who was as frustrated as she was. But they both knew that if that was the case, there wasn’t much they could do unless the doctor showed his face again. 

 

Natasha was about to give up hope, she was about to tell the rest of the Avengers that they needed a new plan. But then… Her phone chimed. 

 

Clint, who was next to her in that moment, froze up as well. She pulled her phone up, looking at the text on it. It was from an unknown number, and not the same number from the burner phone.. That part worried her… But she was desperate, so she opened the unknown text

 

_ “Agent Romanov, it’s Doctor Muller. I need your help…” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The Avengers respond to the text

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed!
> 
> Next Chapter:   
> HYDRA makes another move, and The Avengers desperately try to place the pieces of the puzzle together while keeping the ones they love out of danger.


End file.
